Running A Race

let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1

Betrayal is devastating. The nature of narcissism involves multiple patterns of betrayal woven throughout the relationship. A passage in Ezekiel grounded the sense of betrayal in my own frayed heart as I observed God’s response to His betrayal by the Jewish leadership.

God dwelt among His people through His presence in the Temple. Ezekiel 8:6-18, describes God’s revulsion of pagan idol worship desecrating the Temple. He felt so strongly about this betrayal that He chose to leave the Temple. Ezekiel’s vision portrays one of the saddest stories in the Bible, the description of God’s Spirit exiting the temple.

Ezekiel’s account helps my heart access the depth of the pain of disloyalty. Yet, I also feel the urgency of not remaining stuck in my emotions but moving beyond them.

The author of Hebrews writes, “…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). Accepting that this is the race set before me personalizes his words. The writer, too, knew betrayal from those who did not receive the message of Jesus as the promised Messiah and God’s provision for our sins. His path required perseverance. I choose to join him in persevering in my race toward forgiveness, freedom, and wholeness.

Father, I reject anything that has become an idol to me. I give to You the place in my heart and in my life that You truly deserve. The perseverance of Hebrew’s author encourages me to seek daily renewal for my soul, spirit, and heart. When my heart stumbles, falters, or even fails, I choose, like him, to “fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith.” In the name of the Son who persevered in His journey to the cross, I pray, amen.

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